The Studies Behind Brunello di Montalcino

In a nation, Italy, that has been producing wine for approximately 3,500 years, Brunello di Montalcino can be considered a modern invention. It is not a wine produced in homage to local traditions, but rather the fruit of the studies of a single winegrower, Ferruccio Biondi Santi. Around 1870, Ferruccio Biondi Santi began propagating in his vineyards a clone of Sangiovese called Brunello. The young winegrower had noticed that a variety of Sangiovese – called "grosso" to distinguish it from the one originating in Chianti, which had smaller clusters – was more resistant to the phylloxera attacks that had so devastated the vineyards of the area. In the end, Ferruccio Biondi Santi completely replanted his vineyards and was soon able to produce with great satisfaction a wine made from a single grape variety. But he did more: he made a clean break with local traditions. At the time, Tuscans greatly preferred young red wines, invigorated by the practice of "governo", often even slightly sparkling. Brunello was – and still is – instead subjected to an aging process of at least four years in oak barrels, completed in the bottle where it develops its prized qualities over time. Brunello began to attract attention from around 1880. The first great "official" vintage of Brunello was 1888, of which five perfectly intact bottles still exist, testament to its remarkable longevity: with the passing of years, it acquires ever greater fragrance, a more velvety flavor, greater harmony, and a delicate yet intense bouquet. In this regard, we recall a statement by Baron Luigi Ricasoli, politician and great Tuscan producer (it was he who dictated the Chianti production regulations), when in 1930 he tasted the Brunello 1888 vintage: "This is something I will never reach," he said, thus decreeing the quality and longevity of this exceptional wine. In 1988, the Centenary of this extraordinary wine was celebrated in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic, Francesco Cossiga.

The production territory of Brunello di Montalcino, which corresponds to the area of the municipality of Montalcino in the province of Siena, is located in south-eastern Tuscany, 40 kilometers south of the city of Siena. The production territory, with a total surface area of 243.62 square kilometers, is bounded by the valleys of the three rivers Orcia, Asso, and Ombrone, and takes on an almost square shape, with sides averaging 15 kilometers.

The area thus defined rises in elevation from approximately 120 meters above sea level along the rivers, up to approximately 650 meters near Poggio Civitella, which is the highest point in the territory.

The hill of Montalcino has numerous pedological environments, having been formed in different geological eras, traceable to sandstones, sometimes mixed with limestones, to alberese and galestro, as well as soils with mixed granulometry sometimes tending toward sandy, sometimes toward clayey.

The hill of Montalcino is 40 km as the crow flies from the sea located to the West, and approximately 100 km from the Apennine mountain range that crosses Central Italy, positioned to the East. The climate is Mediterranean, but generally dry; it also has continental characteristics given its intermediate position between the sea and the mountains of the Central Apennines. This is demonstrated by the average rainfall and temperature measurements recorded. Precipitation is concentrated in the spring and autumn months, as occurs in Mediterranean climates, and the annual average rainfall is approximately 700 millimeters. In winter, above 400 meters, snowfall is possible. The mid-hill zone is not affected by fog, frosts, or late frosts, while the frequent presence of wind guarantees the best conditions for the health of the vines. Throughout the entire vegetative phase, temperatures are predominantly mild with a high number of clear days, an ideal characteristic for ensuring gradual and complete ripening of the grape clusters.

The vocation of the Montalcino territory for producing wines of great quality has been known for many centuries. As early as the Middle Ages, municipal statutes regulated the start date of the harvest, while during the siege of 1553, wine was never lacking, and Blaise de Montluc, in defense of the walls of Montalcino, would "redden his face with the robust wine" to conceal his suffering. According to the Bolognese Leandro Alberti (1550–1631), Montalcino is: "much renowned for the fine wines drawn from those pleasant hills." The grand-ducal auditor Bartolomeo Gherardini, during his visit to Montalcino in 1676–1677, noted the production of 6,050 some of wine described as "a hearty wine, though not in great quantity." Charles Thompson in 1744 says that "Montalcino is not very famous except for the goodness of its wines."

The forerunner of the production of Brunello di Montalcino was certainly Clemente Santi. In 1869, his Vino Scelto (Brunello) from the 1865 harvest was awarded a silver medal by the district committee. In 1893, the Ministry of Agriculture awarded a wine from Raffaello Padelletti, and at the beginning of the 1900s the Brunello of Riccardo Paccagnini won many prestigious national recognitions (Esposizione Franco Italiana di Roma in 1910) as well as international ones (grand prix for the Brunello 1894 and medaille d'or for one from 1899).

Professor Martini of the Scuola di Viticoltura e Enologia di Conegliano Veneto, in 1885, in a lecture on "The future wealth of the Sienese province," highlighted that the Sienese area "is by now known in all national wine markets and also in the main foreign ones, for various types of wine including Brunello di Montalcino."

The vicissitudes of the early twentieth century led to a decline in wine production, and very few producers kept Montalcino production alive between the two wars. Brunello di Montalcino was presented by several estates at the Mostra dei Vini Tipici Senesi held in Siena in 1932, 1933, and 1935. After the Second World War, people began once again to think about viticulture and winemaking, and some had the foresight to look toward the future, agreeing on the production rules for Brunello di Montalcino.

Brunello di Montalcino is a visually clear, brilliant wine, of intense ruby color tending toward garnet with aging. It has an intense, persistent, broad, and ethereal bouquet. Notes of undergrowth, aromatic wood, small fruits, light vanilla, and composite preserves are recognizable. On the palate, the wine has an elegant and harmonious body, backbone and breed; it is dry with long aromatic persistence.

Due to its characteristics, Brunello di Montalcino withstands long aging, improving over time. It has been verified that it can be cellared, depending on the characteristics of the vintages, for a minimum of ten and up to thirty years, but it can also be kept in the cellar for even longer. Naturally it must be stored correctly: in a cool cellar, with little light, at a constant temperature, without noise or odors, with the bottles stored on their sides.

The elegance and harmonious body of the wine allow pairings with very structured and complex dishes such as red meats, feathered and furred game, possibly accompanied by mushrooms and truffles. It also finds an optimal pairing with international cuisine dishes based on meats or with sauces. Brunello is also a wine that pairs optimally with cheeses: aged tome and structured cheeses. Furthermore, due to its characteristics, it is also enjoyable as a meditation wine.

Brunello di Montalcino must be served in broad-shaped glasses, in order to fully appreciate its complex and harmonious aroma. It should be served at a temperature of approximately 18°C–20°C.

The combination of natural factors – soil and climate – with human factors defines the interaction that manifests itself in the characteristics of Brunello di Montalcino.

Viticultural techniques have evolved and today the planted vineyards are the result of knowledge acquired through observations and experiments carried out over recent decades. Pruning systems and vineyard cultivation take into account the pedoclimatic environment and the relative scarcity of water reserves during the summer period. Operations are therefore carried out with the aim of maintaining water reserves. In the autumn and early spring periods, deeper tillage is performed to promote water penetration.

The soils, which tend to be poor in organic matter, calcareous, and with a relative lack of water, allow the Sangiovese grape variety to develop with rather contained vigor and consequently limited production. Climate also influences the variety and its development during the vegetative phase of the vine, which runs from mid-April through mid-September. Spring rainfall is useful for the accumulation of water at the root system level, beneficial to the plant for developing the first phase of vegetation properly. Subsequently – during the summer months – the plant undergoes a progressive slowing of vegetation, as the soils tend to lose their water reserves due to relatively low rainfall. The subsequent period, which develops in the late summer and early autumn phase, is cooler. During the grape ripening period, both due to position and altitude, there are significant day-night temperature variations.

The characteristics of the grapes obtained in the territory are the direct consequence of the behavior of the Sangiovese variety during the vegetative phase. The poverty of the soils, the relative lack of water, the normally active ventilation, and the degree of sunlight allow grapes to be obtained at a perfect state of ripeness and healthy from a phytosanitary standpoint.